Naxal held in Dantewada; woman ultra surrenders

A naxal was arrested, while a woman ultra surrendered before the police in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district today, police said.

Mandavi was allegedly involved in crimes like Maoist attacks on police party and murder of local villagers.

A naxal was arrested, while a woman ultra surrendered before the police in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district today, police said. Both the rebels were carrying cash reward on their heads. Raju Mandavi (28), an active LOS (local organisation squad) member of the Maoists, was apprehended by a team of local police from Barsoor police station area, a senior police official told PTI.

Mandavi served as the gunman of a senior naxal commander, who was killed in a police encounter in May this year, the officer said adding that the ultra was carrying a reward of Rs 1 lakh on his head. Mandavi was allegedly involved in crimes like Maoist attacks on police party and murder of local villagers.

In another incident, the commander rank cadre identified as Shyamala Sodhi (27) turned herself in before Dantewada Superintendent of Police Kamlochan Kashyap at the district headquarters.

A native of Kistaram area in Sukma, Sodhi had joined the outlawed CPI (Maoist) in 2008 and was presently active as LOS commander, he said. She had been allegedly involved major naxal incidents, including Tahakwada attack in Sukma wherein 15 security personnel and a civilian was killed in March 2014, he said. She was carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh on her head.

In her statement, she expressed disillusionment with the “hollow” ideology of the Naxal movement, the officer said. An aid of Rs 10,000 cash was given to the duo as immediate financial aid. They will be rehabilitated as per the government policy, he added.